


A Summer Weekend in Ann Arbor

by Nutriyum_Addict



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Babysitting, Exhaustion, F/M, Friendship, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 19:23:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10367640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nutriyum_Addict/pseuds/Nutriyum_Addict
Summary: Leslie and Ben go visit Ann and Chris and Michigan. Post-season six, pre-season seven,





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part 1 written Aug. 2015 and part 2 Nov 2016. 
> 
> I thought I had already posted this here but then I realized that I did not. And it took me FOREVER to find the part two buried at tumblr.

“Oh! Ohhhh!” Ann exclaims excitedly, taking in Leslie’s appearance at her front door. The navy blue cotton dress looks cool and comfortable, and although the patterned vertical stripe running down the front is cute, it does nothing to camouflage her massively growing belly–even though the sale’s lady at Pawnee’s new maternity boutique, _Frocked Up_ , promised Leslie that it would.

“I can’t believe you’re so big! My god, you look like you’re at least six months pregnant!”

“I do,” Leslie agrees, smiling–practically beaming.

“You’re only four and a half!” Ann responds, eyes still wide.

“I know!” And with those declarations over, Leslie runs inside Chris and Ann’s house and envelopes her best friend in an enthusiastic hug. “I’m so huge!”

Ben follows behind and ends up in his own bear hug with Chris, finally opting to just quietly drop their bags on the floor when it becomes apparent that Chris isn’t going to let go anytime soon.

“Did you have a nice drive?” Ann asks, pulling back and placing her palm on Leslie’s stomach.

“We did…we only had to stop three times because I had to pee.”

“Three times in four hours is nothing. In a couple of months, you’ll look back on that fondly,” Ann promises with a nod, taking Leslie’s hand and pulling her into the living room. Chris releases Ben and they follow, while Oliver is already waiting for everyone in his playpen just a few feet away.

Once they get settled, Ann warns, “Oh, don’t let Jerry drink milk in front of you while you’re pregnant.” Chris nods in agreement.

“Larry?” Leslie asks.

“Oh, right. Yeah, whatever he’s calling himself these day,” Ann says. “It was just…” she trails off, shuddering. “Even I couldn’t look at my breasts for days afterwards. And poor Chris…”

“That was, _literally_ , the most disturbing thing I have ever seen,” Chris agrees.

“His name is Garry,” Ben mentions, “And he’s actually very–” Leslie, Ann, and Chris stare at him for a second and start laughing, cutting him off in his defense of Garry Gergich.

Ben holds his hands up. “Fine, fine, I give up.”

“So,” Ann starts, “How’s everything going? Does you back hurt? Are your feet swollen? Does everything make you cry? I can’t believe you’re pregnant and I’m not there to help you through this! You were so amazing when I was pregnant. I’m so sorry I’m not there.” Ann looks like she’s going to cry and moves in to give Leslie another hug, who is also looking like she’s going to cry about any second. Ben glances at Chris…yep, his eyes are all watery too. Good lord.

“Hey, you know, I’m there,” Ben interjects before anyone can actually start bawling. “I’m helping her.”

Ann gives him a look. “The last time you were in charge, Leslie almost got a pawn shop tattoo.”

Leslie nods and lets Ben know, “She does have a point, babe.”

“Because you got me drunk!” He tells his wife not even trying to hide his slightly exasperated tone.

Ann scoffs at him, turns her attention back to Leslie. “Are you horny all the time? I was horny all the time the first six months. Seriously, Chris was practically on call for all of the sex.”

Chris seems to agree with this and adds, “It’s true. I had many duties to perform. In the morning, sometimes at lunch in the third floor janitor’s closet, back at home.” He turns his attention to Ben. “You’ll be happy to know that the guest room’s bed hardly squeaks at all. So feel free to assist Leslie with any needs that she has during your visit. You won’t disturb anyone here!”

“Oh, um…great. Right. Okay?”

“Let’s see, what else…” Ann thankfully interrupts Ben, easily slipping into her role as (according to Leslie) _the most beautiful nurse in the whole world_ , “Any breast tenderness?” Ben reaches for a pretzel from the bowl on the coffee table and nearly chokes on it when Ann’s next question is, “Any weird vaginal discharge these first few months? Do you have hemorrhoids? Tell me everything!”

Chris ends up slapping him on the back a few times, while Leslie looks at him all concerned. “Babe?”

“I’m uh, fine. I’m fine.” In all honesty, he already knows the answers to all of those questions (yes, yes, no), but being involved in such a friendly discussion with both Ann and Chris about it is…well, it’s _uncomfortable_. And a little weird? He looks around at everyone just relaxing and kicking back while they discuss his wife’s vagina and…other areas.

Yeah, it’s weird.

“Ben, would you like to come with me outside and start the grill while Ann and Leslie catch up?” Chris asks, noticing his friend’s growing discomfort.

“Oh, thank god. Yes. Let’s do that.”


	2. You said you weren’t going to leave, no matter how hard things got.

“You said you weren’t going to leave, no matter how hard things got. Come on, we can do this.”

“I know,” Leslie lied, taking his hands in hers.

Honestly, Ben had no idea how close she was to going into the guest room, putting on her headphones, leaving him out here alone, and not coming out again until Ann and Chris returned home.

Well, possibly he did know, by the way he was gripping at her fingers.

“But…on the other hand,” she added, “maybe this was a mistake? I mean…we could always call Ann’s mom and–”

Oliver picked that exact moment to start screaming. Again.

“Oh god, why won’t he stop? Why does the baby of the most beautiful nurse the world has ever known hate me so much?”

“Honey,” Ben started to placate her even as he went over to Oliver and picked the wailing six-month-old up. “He doesn’t hate you. He’s just cranky. Are you cranky, Oliver? Who’s cranky? Is it _youuuuuu_?”

She watched while her husband soothed the infant, cradling him in his arms and making goofy faces and voices until the baby settled down a bit.

They were in Michigan, visiting Ann and Chris. That morning, they’d enthusiastically offered to watch the baby for the evening, while the still-new parents went out and had a long dinner. It was supposed to be practice for their own triple cherries–due in a few months.

But…this was not going how Leslie had expected.

Over the course of her pregnancy so far, she’d devoured every baby book she could get her hands on. She was more than prepared and, she thought, more than able to babysit one baby. Leslie had thought this would be a breeze.

Nope. This was a noisy, poopy, messy, and finicky tornado.

Oliver cried. He spit up. He did not calm down when Leslie swaddled him in his soft gender-neutral and organic baby blankets like the experts said to. He did not appreciate her making soft _shhhhing_ sounds to create white noise and make him feel safe and secure, like in the womb.

He just screamed. And pooped. And leaked on her (from any and all openings). Leslie’s maternity shirt was covered in baby stains and she was completely exhausted and it’d been barely two hours since Ann and Chris had left.

This was a disaster.

For her husband though, the baby smiled and settled down and looked like a little angel. And sure, it was super hot to watch Ben hold and make silly faces at a baby and even change a diaper like a pro but, at the same time it was also a little infuriating.

How the hell was he so good at this? And how was she so awful?

“Why does he like you better?” She finally asked with a pout.

Ben turned towards her and, his hands full, motioned with his head towards the couch. When they were both seated, he readjusted Oliver in his arms.

“I don’t think he likes me better. I think…” Ben trailed off and paused to grin at the goofy baby face Oliver made, “I think maybe he can tell I’m more relaxed with him?”

“BUT I’M RELAXED TOO!”

Oliver began to cry again, prompting Ben to get up and start walking around once more, gently rocking the baby in his arms as he went. It was something he learned a couple of years ago while visiting his brother and new niece, he told her.

“Oh god, I just yelled in front of an infant. I’m going to be a horrible mother. I can’t even make one baby like me.” Even as she said it, Leslie protectively settled her palm against her growing belly.

“He likes you,” Ben insisted. “And you’re going to be an amazing mother. Really.”

Ben made another pass around the living room and Oliver finally quieted down again.

“It's just that I’ve read so many books while you’ve been freaking out over spreadsheets and you just seem to know what to do. And also, he’s not acting like he’s supposed to, so that’s on him. And then you walk around with your perfect butt and your great hair and everything is fine. It’s like you’re the baby whisperer. And I'm… _Bennnnnnnnn_ ,” she stopped mid-whine when she started sobbing.

Hormones. Of course it was time for the stupid pregnancy hormones to kick in.

“Oh, oh god. Hey. It’s okay,” Ben said quickly, sitting down next to her again. “Crap. I need more hands. _Shhhhhh_ , honey. _Shhhhhhh_.”

Was he trying to _white noise_ her? She looked up through her tears, and Ben was staring at her with a very concerned expression. He eventually managed to free a hand without disturbing Oliver too much and reached out to touch her arm.

Leslie wanted to tell him that it was alright, that she was just emotional, but she couldn’t get the words out. Instead, Leslie snuggled up against Ben and Oliver, crying loudly into her husband’s shoulder. Soon, Oliver started bawling too.

“Good lord. Okay, it’s okay. You’re both okay,” Ben said softly, but she could tell by his tone that he was starting to get a little flustered and actually that made Leslie feel a bit better.

“Everything is going to be…okay,” Ben repeated, as both she and Oliver continued to cry on him.

And really, she got the appeal. Ben was warm and solid and made everything seem a bit better.

Leslie didn’t remember falling asleep, but she must have, because the next thing she knew, Ann and Chris were in the living room and Oliver, thankfully, was now asleep and still cradled in Ben’s arms.

She lifted her head up off of her husband’s shoulder. Leslie was pretty sure she drooled on him. Well, that seemed fair, she thought, looking down at a mashed carrot stain on her boob.

“Hey there,” Ben said, giving her a small smile. “You both took a nap on me.”

“How was it?” Ann asked anxiously, lifting her son from Ben. “He seems good. Was he good?”

Leslie looked at her best friend, who was undoubtedly, also the best mother in the whole world. Then she looked at her clearly worn-out and wonderful husband. And yeah, there was a drool spot right there on his weekend plaid shirt.

“He was great,” Leslie said with a nod, as Ben reached to take her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “The most perfect baby in the whole world.”


End file.
